2026 ASTRO Honorary Member
ASTRO is proud to award Freddie Hamdy, CBE, FMedSci, MD, FRCS, with the 2026 Honorary Member award. Dr. Hamdy serves as the Nuffield Professor of Surgery, Professor of Urology and Head of the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences at the University of Oxford, as well as Editor-in-Chief of BJU International.
When asked about the origins of his interest in prostate cancer, Dr. Hamdy reflected, “I have always been fascinated by the ubiquitous nature of prostate cancer and how it behaves in different patients. I was also staggered that for decades there were two major radical treatment options for localized prostate cancer with no randomized studies to compare their effectiveness as well as that of active surveillance.”
That initial fascination fueled over 35 years of research in prostate cancer, one of the most commonly treated diseases with radiation therapy, and Dr. Hamdy consequently led some of the most widely impactful and critical studies for prostate RT. For example, he is the Chief Investigator of the Prostate testing for cancer and Treatment (ProtecT) study, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving over 1,600 patients. During a period when PSA testing became available, and subsequently, a wave of diagnoses occurred, Dr. Hamdy challenged the existing standard of care to employ radical therapy, and instead, demonstrated the safety of delaying treatment. What followed was “active surveillance as a strategy to markedly mitigate the harms of screening and allow safe early detection.” The study also demonstrated radiation therapy with ADT, an alternative to radical prostatectomy, to reduce the risk of metastasis, and he continues to lead this trial, with 20-year outcomes to be assessed next year.
Simultaneously, Dr. Hamdy collected outcomes that helped establish both the short- and long-term safety of radiation therapy. Study findings have been significant in allowing for patients to have more informed treatment options.
ProtecT was part of an even larger effort, including a cohort of over 80,000 participants, many of whom were followed longitudinally for many years. The contribution of his studies, both basic and translational, on mechanisms of metastasis and biomarkers to predict occurrence, has been significant. He is also coprincipal investigator of the Cluster Randomized Trial of PSA Testing for Prostate Cancer (CAP), a massive RCT with over 400,000 participants that demonstrated that screening with PSA reduces the long-term risk of prostate cancer mortality.
And yet, in the midst of these incredible contributions, when asked what career achievements he considers most significant, Dr. Hamdy replied first, “The most rewarding achievements have been to help young talented people to develop their career as strong and credible clinical academics, by creating appropriate environments to foster them.” He also appreciates “the privileged positions [he has] held in driving and completing practice changing research and clinical trials.” The field is grateful for both advancing the standard of care, and doing so in such a way that others can multiply his work and apply his approach to research.
Regarding the future of medicine, Dr. Hamdy is most excited about ongoing innovation, and “continuing to defend the bastion of evidence-based clinical practice, informed by robust science, translational research and well conducted clinical trials.”
Colleague Tyler Seibert, MD, PhD, observes: “It is fair to say that no scientist has done more to establish the safety and efficacy of prostate RT than Freddie Hamdy. His contributions are of such great importance and uniqueness that I am not sure they would have happened without him personally championing those studies. He is a true friend to our field, and it would be an honor for ASTRO to welcome him as an Honorary Member.”
“On a personal note, Freddie is an extraordinarily thoughtful and compassionate physician with the utmost dedication to patient-centered science and care.”
Join us in congratulating Dr. Hamdy at the Annual Meeting Awards Ceremony on September 29!
